Culture week to focus on BVI’s Land and History

Director of the Department of Culture Mrs. Luce Hodge Smith speaks about the activities for Culture Week 2008 at a press briefing held on October 29

At a recent press briefing Director of Culture Mrs. Luce Hodge-Smith said the community has been blessed with the ability to own land but there has been a breakdown in families due to conflicts surrounding land issues.  “The fabric of the community is unravelling due to members not speaking to each other for years and even generations because of unresolved land matters,” she said.

“The purpose of this year’s theme is to show persons in the community the importance of owning one’s land and the empowerment therein and how to go about resolving land issues that they may be having,” she added.
 
Mrs. Hodge-Smith said the theme will be looked at from a legal and historical perspective.    “It is a very sensitive topic but we felt at the department that it is one that should be addressed and we will try to do so in a very informative manner so that persons will be educated on how to deal with these particular issues,” she said.

The activities for the week will include a radio and television address on Sunday, November 9 by Minister for Education and Culture the Honourable Andrew Fahie.  Schools throughout the Territory will also organise in-house cultural activities during the week.    ~~Adz:Right~~

Additionally, facts about the roles and responsibilities of departments such as Survey, Land Registry, and Town and Country Planning will be featured on radio station ZBVI’s Almanac from November 9 to 14.

One of the highlights for the week will be an Information Fair on Tuesday, November 11 at the Sir Rupert Briercliffe Hall from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  At the fair experts from the Land Registry, Survey, Town and Country Planning Departments and an attorney and notary public will be available to answer questions or address any concerns that the public may have on any land related matters.

The public will also have another opportunity to interact with these experts during a live discussion on ZBVI Radio 780 AM on Thursday, November 13 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  The panelists will focus on this year’s theme and discuss the historical and legal perspectives of owning or acquiring land. 

The week culminates on Friday, November 14 with a Food Fair at the Palm Grove Park beginning at 10:00 a.m. Food vendors will sell traditional food and drinks of the BVI.

Culture Week has been observed since 1994 and its objective is to highlight and celebrate the culture of the BVI.  The mission of the Department of Culture is to foster a sense of national pride through the promotion, preservation and development of our cultural heritage, with other related agencies and partners.